The Promise Is for You | Acts 2:14–20

Intro

In 2022, Apple ran a commercial for their Watch called “911.” It featured recordings from actual emergency calls from individuals whose lives were saved because they used their Apple Watch to call for help.

One of those calls was from a woman named Amanda who was in a car accident. Her car was flipped over, water was filling her car, and she couldn’t get out. At one point, she told the dispatcher that the water was up to her neck. Because Amanda was able to make an emergency call on her Watch, first responders reached her in minutes, and she was rescued.

The ad is visceral and powerful. Hearing the voices of people calling for help makes you think … What if I was in an accident and couldn’t reach my phone? What if I was in trouble and no one was around? How would I get help? One call could save your life. As thought-provoking as those ads are, our text this morning urges every one of us to ask a question more weighty and more eternal: How can I be saved from my guilt and sin?

Acts 2:14–40

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

In this passage, Luke records Peter’s sermon from the day of Pentecost. When the crowd in Jerusalem heard the disciples of Jesus declaring the mighty works of God in foreign languages, Luke tells us that they “were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” (Acts 2:12).

That question opened a window for Peter to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Think about Peter’s audience … He is talking to a massive crowd of Jews in Jerusalem, many who just weeks before were in the crowd that shouted, “Crucify, crucify him!” (Luke 23:21). Is there any hope for people as guilty as that?

Peter’s message to them is a message of hope and salvation: If you call on Jesus, you will be saved. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v. 21).

“The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself…. Save yourselves from this crooked generation” (Acts 2:39–40).

Now, if Peter could hold out the hope of forgiveness and the promise of God’s Spirit to the very people who murdered the Son of God, then there is hope for the world. How can you—how can anyone be saved from guilt and sin? Only by calling on the name of Jesus. The aim of this text is to convince you to call on Jesus Christ for salvation.

Peter holds out this hope in three parts: The need for salvation, The accomplishment of salvation, and the offer of salvation.

I. The Need for Salvation (vv. 14–21)

Peter stood up to explain the significance of the events of Pentecost, quoting the prophet Joel:

“But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel …” (Acts 2:16).

“This is that,” as the KJV puts it.

First, the prophet foretold that the outpouring of God’s Spirit would be widespread.

“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (v. 17).

He speaks of sons and daughters, young and old, male and female. In the Old Testament, God’s Spirit empowered a few particular people—prophets and some judges and kings in Israel. But Moses expressed longing for a broader experience of the Spirit:

“Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29).

Joel said when that happened, common people would prophesy, see visions, and dream dreams.In the Old Testament, God made himself known to his people through his prophets. Those prophets received revelation from God in various ways, like dreams and visions. In Acts, there are occasional visions, and a few people are called prophets. But Luke’s focus is on the way God now makes himself known through the witness of his people, empowered by the Spirit of God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s what’s happening here on the day of Pentecost, when this small band of disciples—made up of ordinary men and women (Ac 1:14)—was empowered by the Spirit to declare the mighty works of God in foreign languages.

But this event held specific significance for the residents of Jerusalem at that time. Peter said (v. 17) that the fulfillment of this promise meant “the last days” had arrived. Many American Christians equate “last days” with “end times.” And the “end times” stir up all kinds of wild assumptions and expectations.

And Peter, quoting Joel, does use some wild language:

“And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day” (Acts 2:19–20).

What does that mean? When does that happen?

A lot of American Christians misinterpret these passages because they read them literally. That creates a fascination with lunar events like eclipses and “blood moons.”But this language is actually quite common in Old Testament oracles of judgment. It’s prophetic language that describes God’s judgment against a nation in terms of decreation—the reversal of the days of creation. Decreation language in the prophets means God is bringing that nation to an end.

In Isaiah 13, there is an oracle of judgment against the nation of Babylon. God is going to overthrow Babylon and it will never be inhabited again:

“Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light” (Isaiah 13:9–10).

This follows the same pattern as Joel’s prophecy that Peter quotes. The “day of the Lord” (cf. Ac 2:20) is a day of judgment against a sinful nation, and the light—sun, moon, and stars—will go dark for that nation. This is all over the prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah, and Nahum.

And Peter’s Jewish audience would have understood that Peter was warning them. The events of Pentecost meant God’s judgment against Judah (which Joel foretold) was coming upon Jerusalem … in their lifetime. Peter wants his audience to understand their need for salvation from God’s judgment.

He does not hold back, but emphasizes their guilt for rejecting and crucifying Jesus.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:22–23).

Luke summarizes Peter’s appeal to his audience in v. 40:

“And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’”

That generation saw the Messiah, rejected the Messiah, and murdered the Messiah.

And sure enough, the destruction Joel (and Peter) warned of, came about in AD 70. The Romans destroyed the temple, wiped out Jerusalem, and killed or displaced most of its residents. So I take “the last days” (v. 17) to refer to the end of the old covenant age. Now that Jesus has come, there is no need for the temple and the sacrifices.

Does that mean Acts 2 (and Joel 2) is irrelevant to us since it was fulfilled in AD 70? No! It actually makes this even more relevant. Some people don’t know what to do with verses 19–20.Others think it’s a prophecy about the end of the world, but that would make it irrelevant to Peter and his audience.

But if every word Peter spoke already came true, then this serves as a warning to every nation. There is a God in heaven who deals with nations as morally responsible entities. Daniel Fuller calls Israel ‘the lesson book for the nations’ because they warn the world of the dangers of disobedience. Have you ever seen that “Faces of Meth” campaign? It used before-and-after mugshots to show the horrifying effects of meth. That is an effective deterrent! In his kindness, God has given all the nations of the world a warning (Deut 29:22–25) so that we would know our need for salvation. Unless we repent and turn to Christ, God’s judgment will come on us. Where’s the proof? Just look at what happened to ancient Israel!

But Peter’s message is not just a warning of judgment. There is a gracious promise of salvation in Joel’s words:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

Who is that Lord and how does he save?

II. The Accomplishment of Salvation (vv. 22–36)

In vv. 22–36, Peter presents the truth of the gospel—the good news that Jesus Christ has accomplished salvation for every sinner who trusts in him. The very first word of the good news Peter proclaims is literally the name of Jesus. “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth …” (v. 22). Peter begins with the life and ministry of Jesus (v. 22), moves to his crucifixion (v. 23), then to his resurrection (vv. 24–32), and finally to his exaltation to heaven (vv. 33–34). All throughout, the spotlight is on Jesus—who he is and what he did. Three times Peter uses the emphatic phrase, “this Jesus” (vv. 23, 32, 36). Jesus is Lord, and the only way for anyone to be saved from God’s just wrath is to call on the name of Jesus. Jesus is the gospel.

Peter’s point in this part of the sermon is to convince, to give certainty:

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).

His point is to prove to his audience that Jesus—the man they crucified—is actually God’s anointed King, the Lord on whom they must call for forgiveness and salvation.

So Peter makes a logical argument: The undeniable, publicly attested miracles of Jesus prove that the man from Nazareth was a man of God (v. 22). That same man of God was killed by the Jews (v. 23), which proves their guilt. But God raised him to life again, which proves Jesus is the true Son of David. David’s hope of eternal life came true in Jesus, who died and rose from the dead. God’s oath to enthrone one of David’s sons forever came true in Jesus. Jesus is God’s anointed King who reigns over the world from God’s right hand (v. 34). And one proof of that is that Jesus has poured out the very Spirit of God on his people.

But how could the death of the Son of God be good news for the people who murdered him? Peter says two things are true. Jesus was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men (v. 23). And Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (v. 23).

It is clear in Peter’s message that God the Father is the author of salvation. He says (v. 22) that Jesus was “a man attested to you by God” (v. 22). He says that God did mighty works, wonders, and signs through Jesus (v. 22). It was God who “raised him up, loosing the pangs of death” (v. 24). Jesus “received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” (v. 33). And “God has made him both Lord and Christ” (v. 36).

The death of the Son of God is good news for those who have rebelled against God because it was God who gave his own Son to die as a sacrifice in the place of sinners. By his sinless life, his substitutionary death on the cross, by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus secured the forgiveness of sins for those who had rejected God.

It is crucial to understand that salvation comes from the Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit. It’s not—as some people think—like God the Father is angry with sinners, but God the Son is merciful and forgiving. It’s not that the Father is all wrath and judgment, but Jesus is grace and mercy. The Father planned salvation (v. 23). The Son accomplished salvation. And the Spirit of God applies salvation by opening blind eyes, softening hard hearts, giving spiritual life to dead souls, and uniting sinners to Jesus.

Jesus is the Savior of the world. He accomplished everything necessary to rescue sinners by his person and work. But that does not mean everyone is saved. There are many who consciously reject Jesus. There are still others who think they are saved, but they are self-deceived. Who is this for? What must you do to be saved?

III. The Offer of Salvation (vv. 37–40)

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37).

At Peter’s words, his audience was cut to the heart. That means their consciences were pierced. They were convicted of their sin—their rejection of Jesus and rebellion against God. And they felt great guilt and remorse for their crimes against Christ. They had crucified God’s anointed King who sits at God’s right hand. This led them to ask, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (v. 37).

That is the most important question anyone can ask. How can I be saved from the judgment of God that I deserve? How can I know that my sins are forgiven?

You do not know how long you have to live. You do not know when you will take your last breath and find yourself standing in the presence of a holy God. You do know that God will judge each one of us according to his perfect, holy, and righteous law. And if you are honest, you already know the verdict will be guilty. What shall we do?

“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

The gospel is the good news that Jesus died to save sinners. But you must personally respond to the gospel for that to be good news for you.

The call to repent echoes the message Jesus preached:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

Repentance begins with knowing and agreeing with God that you are guilty. But that’s not all. Plenty of people know they are wrong. President Trump just said the other day, “I want to try and get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well.” Knowing that you fall short of God’s perfect standard is not the same as repentance.

Besides knowing you’ve sinned against God, true repentance involves remorse for sin—sorrow for the damage your sin has caused and hatred for sin as an offense to God. But repentance is not just regret. Remember Judas the betrayer from Acts 1? He felt remorse, but he didn’t repent.

Genuine repentance involves turning away from sin and turning toward Christ. The Greek word (metánoia) means to change your mind. For Peter’s audience, who had rejected and murdered Jesus, it meant accepting Jesus as Savior and giving him allegiance as their King.

Next, Peter directed his hearers to be baptized in the name of Jesus. This was the command Peter received directly from Jesus just ten days earlier:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).

Baptism is the public, visible sign that one has been united to Jesus through repentance and faith (Gal 3:27). A wedding ring is a sign that a wife has entered into a covenant with her husband by vows and taken on his name and pledged her faithfulness to him alone. Baptism is a sign that a person has entered into God’s New Covenant by faith in Jesus, taking on Jesus’ name and identity, and pledging allegiance to Jesus as King.

But why didn’t Peter say anything about faith? Aren’t we saved by grace through faith alone?

While faith is not explicitly mentioned, it is implied. To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ requires faith. Acts 22:16 says,

“Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

Baptism must involve calling on the name of Jesus. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved (v. 21). That’s what baptism is—calling on Jesus to save you.

Baptism without faith is useless. Kind of like buying and wearing a wedding ring doesn’t mean you are married. If you call on Jesus’ name, you will be saved.

Do you ever doubt that? Do you ever lack assurance and struggle to believe that your sins are forgiven? Listen to these comforting words: “For the promise is for you” (v. 39).

Oh, the glory of the grace of God! Peter spoke these words to the people who murdered the Son of God. How patient and gracious is God! Not only did he send his own Son to that generation … After they rejected his Son, he sent his witnesses to those people to declare the good news that all their sins could still be forgiven if they would turn to and trust in Jesus.

Those words cut through the darkest doubts of unbelief, the condemning voice that says, “This isn’t for you. You can’t be forgiven. Your sin is too much, too evil, too frequent, too shameful to ever be forgiven.” The promise is for you. In fact, “The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (v. 39). That is good news for us today. This salvation is not limited by either time or by distance. This salvation isn’t limited to Peter’s audience in the first century. It is for future generations—“for your children”—down through time. And it’s for all who are far off, whether Jewish exiles or Gentile outsiders.

The gift of salvation applied by the Holy Spirit is for sinners in every generation and every place, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. So call on the name of Jesus, and you will be saved.